The BLUEISLANDS project aims to properly identify, address and mitigate the effects of the seasonal variation of waste generation on Mediterranean islands resulting from tourism. The ultimate goal of the project is to establish the necessary conditions so that the waste generated on each island will serve as a resource bank which will be used to fuel local loops of circular economy.

Plastic pollution is threatening the oceans, marine animals and even human health. When it is discarded on land, plastic often ends up in the marine system where it disintegrates into small pieces (microplastics; <5mm down to few nanometers) that can easily be incorporated into the food web. Beaches represent one of the main gateways for plastic to enter the ocean, associated to the current system of mass tourism over the last few decades. This represents a threat, especially on islands, for the environment as well as an economic challenge for local municipalities that have to face this seasonal increase of waste.

BLUEISLANDS project is assessing the dynamics of marine litter, with a special attention paid to micro and macroplastics, in highly touristic coastal areas of the following islands of the Mediterranean Sea: Mallorca, Sicily, Malta, Rab, Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes and Cyprus. A survey protocol was specifically designed to periodically monitor the amount and type of marine litter found on 3 selected beaches of each of the 8 islands, as well as in the surface waters running the length of these beaches. The beaches were selected in order to encompass different case-scenarios including highly touristic beaches, remote beaches (likely less impacted) and beaches mainly used by locals. These surveys are conducted during both the high and low touristic seasons in order to assess the impact of tourism on the generation of waste (including both the micro- and macroplastics) on these beaches.

BLUEISLANDS project’s leader is Cyprus Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. The Project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.